Bopara: I’m not Superman

Ravi Bopara has laughed off claims he is under pressure after a disappointing start to the Ashes, insisting it would be boring if he hit a century every time he plays.

The Essex batsman scored a ton in three successive Test innings against the West Indies earlier this year but that run came to an end in the first Test against Australia last week when he was dismissed for 35 in England’s first innings.

He then made just one in the second, out to a questionable lbw decision, as Andrew Strauss’ men teetered on the brink of defeat before staging a heroic rearguard effort to save the game. Asked if he was under any extra pressure going into Lord’s, Bopara – written off by Shane Warne before the series – replied: ‘No, I just go out there and enjoy it. I am not Superman, I’m not a machine.

‘I can’t score runs every time. There’s going to be days I don’t. If I got a century every day it’d be boring.’

Bopara is looking forward to returning to Lord’s this week, where he scored 143 against the Windies earlier this summer in his first Test innings at No.3.

That helped him make the position his own ahead of Ian Bell, Owais Shah and Michael Vaughan, who has since retired.

Bopara added: ‘I have happy memories there from the beginning of the summer. It’s also a great feeling knowing we go there with this series still level. We were relieved we got away with a draw in Cardiff. It gives us confidence that we showed great fighting character.

‘We know we have to pick things up for the next game, it’s massive. We didn’t play our best at Cardiff but we’ll come back stronger at Lord’s.’

And Bopara claims the recalled Steve Harmison has lost none of his pace, saying: ‘He’s a dangerous bowler, even for guys on top form like Ricky Ponting. It’s never pleasant facing someone like Harmy.’